"One of my favorite authors, Val McDermid is an important writer--witty, never sentimental, taking us through mean streets with the dexterity of a Chandler."--Sara Paretsky

"Val McDermid is one of the bright lights of the mystery field."--The Washington Post

"There is no one in contemporary crime fiction who has managed to combine the visceral and the humane as well as Val McDermid. . . . She's the best we've got."--The New York Times Book Review

White nights of passion and revenge in St. Petersburg. A bingo hall tyrant trapped by masked intruders. The sleazy flipside of the international publishing scene. An author succumbing to the deadly lure of cybersex.

Stranded demonstrates yet again the scope of Val McDermid's imagination, her versatility as a stylist, and her immense powers as a storyteller. As well as McDermid's popular series character, PI Kate Brannigan, this diverse collection contains narrative voices, both female and male, from different continents and an eclectic range of backgrounds. McDermid has chosen the short story form to probe not only the motivations of the criminal underworld but also the nature of crime itself, all the time playing with crime-writing and pushing it to its limits. There are even occasions where McDermid defies the genre altogether. The collection is framed by two stories that show a writer exploring fresh territory.

Grit, sex, glamour, intrigue, and unexpected turns:Stranded is a showcase of trademark McDermid that will strike a few surprising chords amongst even her most devoted readers. Foreword by Sara Paretsky.

Val McDermidgrew up in a Scottish mining community and read English at Oxford University. After 16 years in journalism, she became a full-time writer in 1991. An international bestseller, she's written over 20 books.